Trying Not to Look Back
by NoxIris63
Summary: When Chihiro runs away from home, there's only one place that seems welcoming to her, even though she doesn't know where it is. I'm bad at summaries, but please R&R!
1. The Letter

**Hooray! Another fanfic! lol! In this fanfic, Chihiro is 16 years old and she has no... that's right... NO memory of working in the bath house or Haku or any of that stuff. PLEASE, PLEASE R&R!! Thank you and I hope you enjoy it!**

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Dear Mom and Dad,

_I am sorry to say, but I'm leaving. I can't stand the fighting anymore! Try to understand, but I don't want to be a part of this quarreling anymore. The pressure on my behalf has increased due to the two of you. Please understand and don't bother looking for me._

_Chihiro_

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Chihiro slipped out of the door into the silent night, wondering where to go. She walked with confidence until she came upon an old train station.

"Why does this place seem familiar?" she whispered to herself. She scanned the tall building, squinting, and could make out an entrance. She quietly went in, feeling the stuffy air. "I'll stay here tonight."

Chihiro crept to a bench and lied down. Her eyes made out what they could, but they started feeling heavy. The room engulfed itself in darkness as Chihiro found herself asleep.

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Ok yeah, I'm sorry it's a really short chapter, but they will get longer, I promise!


	2. Painful Memories

Chihiro woke to the sun shining on her

Chihiro woke to the sun shining on her. She reached her hands to grab the covers, but realized there were none. '_That's right, I ran away last night._'

She got up and stretched while looking in the room. There were several dusty benches with windows all around. The room was well lighted by the sun and warm. She got up, grabbed her backpack, and walked around.

She saw a doorway and walked through it carefully. '_I wonder where this goes to,_' she thought. Chihiro kept heading straight and before she knew it, a throbbing pain slipped through her head. She dropped on the ground, holding her head and rubbing her temples, but the pain was too hard to bear.

Pictures and memories she didn't know she had piled into her head. She saw a large bathhouse with many workers and inhabitants. She saw an old man with eight arms and a nice young woman showing her how to work in the bathhouse.

An old lady with a large baby were shown as well as a masked black ghost living with another old woman, similar to the first. She saw a white dragon wounded with cuts all over him.

Then she saw a boy; a boy with black chin length hair. He was helping her out, saving two fat pigs. '_No wait! Those are my parents!_' Chihiro frantically thought, still clenching in pain. '_And that boy… it's… it's…_' Chihiro looked up and saw a meadow out before her. A young man with black hair stared at her in alarm.

"Haku…" Chihiro fainted from the pain the memories gave her.


	3. The Reunion

**I'm really sorry for the nonposting period! I will try not to do that again, but unfortunantly, I will be on vacation for a few weeks with no computer so, if you can wait, I will be very pleased and put up a double post! Thanks for waiting and to all the reviewers and readers!!**

**I forgot a disclaimer hehe- I do not own Spirited Away or any of the characters!**

**Please enjoy this longer chapter!**

Chihiro found herself with a cool cloth on her forehead, lying on soft ground

Chihiro found herself with a cool cloth on her forehead, lying on soft ground. '_All I remember was walking through that doorway and all these memories started flooding my head and then…_'

Chihiro looked up to find the young man looking into the river. '_…him._'

The teenager shifted his gaze to Chihiro. "You're finally up, Chihiro."

Chihiro stood up to face him. The once childhood friend Chihiro knew was now a tall, strong man. "It's so good to see you, Haku!" She ran and embraced him.

Haku pushed her away softly, using his hand on her shoulder. "What are you doing here? I told you not to come back! What were you thinking?"

"I'm not going back if that's what you're getting at."

'_She's gotten more confident…_' Haku thought to himself, shaking his head. "What do you mean?"

"You can't make me leave. It's my choice to stay, so I'm staying!" Chihiro sat down, cross legged, eyes narrowed.

'…_and more stubborn,_' he added dryly. "What happened? Why do you want to stay here?"

"It's my family. My parents keep fighting; it puts pressure on me. When I get stressed out, I do everything wrong. Whenever I do anything bad, theirs is a lot more fighting!" Chihiro took a deep breath. "I ran away because I was tired of their quarreling! And I'm never going back," She added.

"You should go back. Won't your parents miss you? And what about your friends?"

Chihiro shrugged him off. "I don't want to talk about this anymore. I'm staying and that's that!"

Haku felt anger rising in him. "Wanna bet?" He grabbed Chihiro's wrist and tried pulling her up. Chihiro dug her knees in and stared at him. Haku pulled harder, but released her, in fear of hurting her. Chihiro, tired of his attempts , yanked back, pulling him to the ground with her.

Chihiro began laughing uncontrollably.

"What's so funny?" Haku stared at her with wide eyes.

"You! Your expression when you fell down!" Chihiro kept laughing. "You looked so surprised!"

Haku felt a blush creeping up his neck, but as he watched Chihiro, he caught the contagious laughter and joined her.

Haku sat up after a minute and looked up at the sun. '_We have a little less than an hour,_' he thought.

Chihiro watched Haku, trying to figure out what he was thinking. "Haku, are you okay?"

"Are you sure you want to stay here?" He asked, still looking up.

"Yeah. I'm sure."

Haku glanced at Chihiro. "But are you positive? I'm going to cast a spell and once I do, there is no going back."

Chihiro thought for a minute and opened her mouth. "I'm…"

"You know what," Haku interrupted, "you have about forty-five minutes to decide. I'll let you think about it for a while. I'll be back shortly."

"But Haku, I want to stay here!" Chihiro waited for his response, but Haku was already gone. '_Why won't he just let me stay?_' she thought. '_Doesn't he want me here?_'

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** I hope that this was a longer chapter for everyone! And I'm sorry in advance, but I will get a few chapters done on the plane! Thanks again and please review!!**


	4. The Painful Regrets Begin

**Hey everyone! Sorry for the wait, but I kinda had a little writer's block (stupid evil plot bunny... grr...) Anyway here's the next chapter and like always, I always welcome reviews!! I mean really, who doesn't?? Hope you enjoy this chapter even though I kinda consider it as a little filler chapter... oh well please R&R!!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Spirited Away or any of the characters**

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"Are you ready?"

Chihiro perked up, realizing that she dozed off. "Yeah, I know what I'm doing… I'm staying here."

Haku heaved a sigh. "Why do you even want to stay here?" he asked. "It's a death sentence to those who are already dead."

"That's how you look at it!" Chihiro yelled. "When I came here, I met a lot of nice people who helped me… you being one of them. Yeah, it was a lot of work at first, but it was worth it. In the end, I became more confident and outgoing. So try to stop me from going back."

Haku stared at Chihiro, noticing that there was no way he could change her mind. "Very well," he said quietly, "but you can't stay at the bath house. Yubaba doesn't want anything to do with you."

"Couldn't I just stay with Granny?" Chihiro asked.

"I guess you could," Haku said, reaching into his pocket. He pulled out a bright red pill and smashed it into a rice ball. "Here, eat this. This will change you into a spirit, and allow you to stay in this world."

Chihiro nodded and took the food. After finishing it, she glanced at Haku and smiled. "So when are we leaving?"

"Now." Haku turned into a white dragon before Chihiro's eyes. "Get on!" he ordered.

Chihiro climbed on his back and held on, knowing what to expect. "You can go," Chihiro said.

The dragon grunted and flung himself in the air. They flew over the land, now submerged in water. The setting sun made Haku's scales glitter several bright colors.

Chihiro closed her eyes, imagining what was in store for her. Her thoughts slowly drifted to her parents. She imagined what they looked like and before she knew it, she could see what they were doing without her. She saw them talking and trying to find out where she was.

She tried whispering out to them, "Mom… Dad… I'm here… don't worry about me." Her words went unheard as she watched her mom cry on her dad's shoulder. "Mom, please…"

Chihiro felt her vision become blurry. She closed her eyes and tasted the salty water in her mouth. '_Why do I feel this?_'

Haku looked back to find tears streaming out of Chihiro's eyes. "Hey! Are you okay back there?"

Chihiro glanced up and wiped her eyes. "Yeah… yeah… I'm fine."

Haku stopped and flew to the ground. When his feet touched, he turned to look at Chihiro. "Are you sure?" he asked in a commanding voice.

"Yes." Chihiro avoided eye contact with the dragon. "Let's just go to Granny's."

Haku kept staring at Chihiro, trying to figure out what she was thinking. After a long minute, he soared up in the air, carrying the saddened girl.

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"We're almost there," Haku stated in a rough voice.

Chihiro woke up, realizing that she fell asleep again. "How long was I sleeping?" she asked Haku.

"About an hour... it sounded like you cried yourself to sleep too. Would you like to talk about something?"

Chihiro thought for a minute and remembered what Haku said earlier:

"_But are you positive? I'm going to cast a spell and once I do, there is no going back."_

She didn't want to upset him by telling him she missed her family nonetheless make him angry at her. She knew he warned her of the consequences that would take part of her rash decision. But she wanted to stay with Haku. And yet, she wanted to see her family again. At least long enough to tell them where she was and to feel her parents' embrace one more time. Unfortunately for her, that time has passed and there was nothing she could do about it.

Chihiro looked at Haku and smiled weakly. "I'll be fine for now. I would just like to talk to Granny when I see her."

Haku nodded and started to land. "Hold on."

Chihiro didn't say anything as the dragon slowly lowered himself. When they were on the ground Chihiro got off, facing the familiar cottage. She smiled and started running towards it. "Granny! I'm back! I'm back!"

An elderly woman opened the front door and a smile filled her face. "Chihiro? What are you doing here?"

Chihiro rushed off and embraced Zeniba. The old lady stroked Chihiro's hair as the teenager held onto her.

Haku turned himself back into a human and watched the happy reunion. '_It seems they don't need me anymore_' he thought, walking away.

"Wait! Haku!" Haku froze and turned around to face Chihiro. "Do you want to stay for a while?"

"I should really get going…"

"C'mon Haku! Don't be grouchy like that!"

Haku felt his face burn up and felt like he couldn't say no to the brown haired teenager. "I'll stay for a while," he quietly said, walking to the door.

Chihiro smiled and walked with Zeniba to the front door where No Face met them. "Good to see you too, No Face," she stated. '_It's good to see everyone again… but I still wish they were here with us._'

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**So please review!! Next time: Hear what Chihiro is really thinking... maybe a little fluff- still thinking... Give me your idea and we'll see :-) Thanks again!!**


	5. The Discovery of Another

**Hey everyone! I have not died, it's a miracle! Ok, after having one of the biggest writing blocks in my whole life, I have finally given you this new long, yes, LONG chapter!!! Secrets will be told! New people will be introduced! There will be a little Chihiro/Haku fluff! Yes! It's a major chapter! And I wrote it during school on the spur of a moment after getting a plot turning idea! Which helps bring me to my next point:**

**Thank you sooooooooooooooo much _Grassina3 _and _ParadiseWolf14 _for your amazing and outstanding ideas! I'm using _Grassina's _one month time for this and I will possibly use _Paradise's_ idea about finding out what spirit Chihiro is later on.**

**Just to let you all know: You are all welcome to give me ideas. They help me write quicker especially if I know how I want to end a chapter. If you do have an idea you can always send me a message! I don't bite! ****Anyways, I hope everyone enjoys this chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or places or anything else from Spirited Away. I do own Zazu, however. (You'll find out soon ^^)**

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Haku walked down the hallway of doors and stopped in front of one. He could hear the calm breathing behind it as he slowly reached his hand to the door knob. Before he could touch it, he recoiled back; what was he doing?! He couldn't simply wake Chihiro up to take a walk with him to chat. She had a long day and needed all the energy she could attain back.

Haku quietly cursed to himself as he walked back to Zeniba's kitchen. He could feel the cold glare of the old woman as he sat down on a wooden chair. He tried ignoring her but couldn't avoid the vibe Zeniba was giving him. "What do you want?" Haku finally grumbled out of annoyance.

She shook her head in response. "When are you leaving?" she questioned.

The boy shrugged his shoulders and mumbled to himself. "I don't know."

"Why did you turn her into a spirit? And are you just gong to leave her like this?" She started raising her voice.

"Be quiet, old lady," he said in a quieter voice. "She's sleeping." He looked around before speaking a gain. "I'm planning on leaving soon, but I will be back in the evenings." He watched her face turn red slowly. Haku knew that it was hard to make Zeniba mad, but once she was mad, it was terrible. "Anyway, I turned her into a spirit because she was begging me to. She could also learn a lesson or two as well…"

"But you turned her into a spirit?!" Zeniba hissed. "Wasn't there some other way to make her learn?"

"Don't worry," Haku said quietly. "She'll learn sooner or later."

The old woman shook her head at Haku. "We'll see about that. I still think you acted rashly."

"I had no time. I was just walking about and saw Chihiro. Listen, if I had the choice, I would have preferred not to see her! I mean I would've liked to see her, but not here," Haku stated, flustered.

Zeniba raised an eyebrow. "You love her, don't you?"

Haku felt his face turn red as he tried covering it up. "I-I don't know what you're talking about…."

"Well you better find out soon because I know of another spirit who likes her," she whispered.

Haku held a shocked expression. "Who would remember her still? I mean she was just a human…"

Zeniba grinned with a glow in her eyes that was dying to tell a secret. "Have you heard of a spirit named Zazu?"

Haku shook his head. "No, I can't say I had."

"He is a fierce who hungers for the hope of finding his love. It is his destiny that is disturbing. It is said that he is to fall in love with a mortal turned into a spirit without dying. Chihiro could most likely be the girl which his destiny points to. That's why you shouldn't have changed her in the first place!"

Haku stood in disbelief. "I didn't know…" he quietly stated. He sat back down in his chair and took a sip of his tea. "If I had known that, I would've sent her back right away -- by force even!"

"You can't let her fall in love." Zeniba quickly said. "Even though he will try almost everything, from potions to even threats, you have to beat him to Chihiro. The only way Chihiro can go back into the real world is through you. I give her a potion to enable her to go back home, but on one condition."

"Anything."

"You only have a month. A person can only take this potion once. Once Chihiro takes it, she will have a month that will allow her to go back home if she so desires. After that month, though, she will stay a spirit forever."

"If she falls in love with me, is there no need for the potion?"

"No. If she falls in love with you, you have to convince her to leave. She can't stay here, Haku, not with Zazu anyhow…"

"What's so bad about him anyway?" Haku questioned. "I could take him if he's just another spirit."

"He isn't just another spirit though." Zeniba poured herself another glass of tea before saying anything else. "He's a dangerous spirit," she whispered after taking a drink. "He's a thief that cannot be trusted one way or another. Prophecy has it that once he finds his true love, he'll become worse. He will devour all her strength, leaving her just enough to continue living. With that strength, he will cause havoc in our spirit world as well as the real world. So it is crucial that we stop Chihiro from loving him."

"When is he coming?" Haku asked.

"Any day now."

"Couldn't we just tell Chihiro about this?"

"We shouldn't." Zeniba poured Haku another glass of tea. "It would be better if she didn't know so then when Zazu comes he won't expect a thing from her. She will be innocent."

Haku nodded while taking a sip of his tea. "If it gets too bad though, I'm going to intervene and tell her."

"I will allow you to do that," the old lady agreed.

"What does he look like?" Haku asked. He imagined opening the door to a tall, pale spirit with red blood eyes and dark hair, reaching out to capture Chihiro in his cold grasp. He shivered at the thought and stayed tense.

Zeniba noticed and started chuckling. "You must be thinking that he is this scary spirit with eyes that kill like Medusa's right?" She watched Haku shake his head in disagreement. "I know you did, don't lie." She smiled as she saw Haku's head bow down in chagrin. "He isn't like that the slightest bit. He's a very handsome character actually. I wouldn't even mind Chihiro dating him if he wasn't evil."

Haku tensed up a little more. "Will I know if I see him?"

"Why? So you can go up to him and say, 'Hi I'm Haku and I'm, going to kill you now,'? No! You can't do that! You must act like you don't know what he really is."

"How did you know then?"

The mischievous woman grinned. "I'm quite full of wisdom at my old age so don't underestimate me, Haku. I'm allowed to have my sources now aren't I?" She watched Haku nod and smiled. "Good. Now I don't know about you, but I'm going to sleep. I expect to see you in the morning? I should of course after seeing how you put Chihiro in this mess, yes?"

Haku felt like he was just hit in the stomach with a ton of bricks with her comment. He knew he had to stay now; there was no other choice. He was the one who put Chihiro in that mess. "You will see me until I can get Chihiro out of here."

"Finally taking responsibility?" the old lady smiled. "I set up a place for you in the living room on the couch. Call if you need anything. Zeniba got up and started walking out the room. She stopped and looked back at Haku. "Thank you for helping Chihiro."

Haku stared at her. He never thought she would show him kindness. "No problem," he stated. He watched her walk out the room before getting up himself. He took the cups and teapot and quickly washed them to thank her for her kindness.

After turning off the kitchen light, Haku traveled down the hallway quietly, hoping not to wake anyone up. Halfway to go and he knew he was approaching the girl's door. '_Maybe just a peak to see if she's ok_,' he thought. He reached for the handle again but recoiled back. '_I'll try tomorrow_.'

He went to the living room and laid down, hoping Zazu would not come at all.

He was almost asleep when he saw something move. He got up and looked around, seeing nothing. '_My mind is playing tricks on me_,' he thought. He turned back around to face a spirit in a black cloak. "Gaah! No Face!" he whispered in a harsh whisper. "Don't scare me like that!" Haku watched the spirit bow his head in apology. "What is it?" Haku asked.

No Face slowly glided to the doorway to the halls. He looked back at Haku, wanting him to follow him. Haku nodded and followed he spirit through the hallway until they reached Chihiro's door. "Is something wrong with Chihiro?" Haku whispered. Haku looked around but No Face was no where to be found.

Haku slowly turned the door knob and walked in. He could hear the girl whimpering quietly in her sleep. He edged closer to hear her better.

"No, Mom, Dad… I'm ok… Don't worry… Mom? Dad?" Chihiro started crying and thrashing. "No… No!"

Chihiro woke up to someone cradling her. She looked up at Haku who was holding her close. She could feel the sweat drip down her face as she wiped tears from her eyes.

"Are you ok?" Haku whispered softly.

"Chihiro looked at him and nodded. "Yes, I'm fine."

"Is there anything you want to talk about?" Haku was still holding onto the girl tightly.

Chihiro thought for a minute. '_If I tell him, he might be mad. There is no reversing. I miss my mother and father a lot, but I don't know. I'll give it some time_.' "No," she said. "Just a bad dream."

"Well, if that's the case…" Haku started unraveling his arms slowly.

"Haku?"

Haku stopped moving his arms. He felt his hands rest on Chihiro's waist. "Do you need anything?" he asked. He felt the blood rush to his face and was thankful that the lights were out.

"Could you stay here?" she quietly asked. "At least until I go back to sleep?"

Haku smiled. "Yes, I can do that." He wrapped his arms back around the fragile girl and watched her go to sleep.

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**Thanks for reading this chapter! Like always, I welcome reviews; they make me happy! :-)**

**Signing off,**

**animeluvr69**


	6. The Unwelcomed Visitor

**Hello everyone! I am soooooooooooooooooooooooooooo sorry for the wait. Truly, I am. With my hectic schedule and school work, I just do not have all the time like I used to. I will try my best to update when I can though; I promise! Thank you for being so patient to me and for reviewing! You guys seriously are my inspiration! **

**This chapter is when the action starts heating up and we learn a little about Chihiro's past, which I thought of on the spur of the moment, haha. That little bit is in Itallics with thoughts in regular by the way. I really hope that you all enjoy this as much as I did writing it! Like always, I accept all reviews haha. Happy reading! :)**

**Disclaimer: Ok, I do not own anypart of _Spirited Away_. I did come up with my fanfic's storyline and I do own my character, Zazu! So no touchy on those two aspects, ok? Good!**

Chihiro woke up with a start. "W-where am I?" she asked herself as she looked around the room. '_Oh yeah. I'm in the Spirit World at Granny's._' Chihiro heard a low growl and glanced down at her stomach. "Maybe I should eat," she laughed to herself.

Chihiro got out of bed and yawned softly. '_I wonder how long I've been asleep..._' she thought as she crossed the small room. As she touched the doorknob, she felt a small spark of excitement.

'_What if Haku is out there?_' She turned around and looked at her hair in the small mirror hanging on the wall. She saw her brown hair hanging down in a messy style. She ran her fingers through her hair a few times before smiling in satisfaction.

She walked back to the door and opened it slowly. She slipped through and started walking to the kitchen.

"Chihiro, wait… no, don't…"

Chihiro looked down the hall towards the voice. '_Haku?_'

She slowly walked down the hall until she entered the living room. There she saw the teenager sprawled out on the couch in a deep sleep. Chihiro chuckled to herself as she watched him dream.

"Chihiro…" a voice whispered.

Chihiro turned around to face Zeniba.

"Let's get you something to eat and let Haku sleep some more. He's had a busy day, you know."

Chihiro nodded in agreement and followed Zeniba to the kitchen. Chihiro heard a teapot go off and smiled. I missed your cooking, Granny."

The older spirit grinned as she took the teapot off the burner. "Sugar?" She watched Chihiro nod and fetched the special powder on the counter. "How did you sleep, Chihiro?"

Chihiro sat down in a chair and faced Zeniba. "It was the best sleep I had in a long time."

Zeniba set the cup of tea in front of Chihiro and sat in the chair on the opposite side of the girl. "That's great to hear. Now drink that whole cup, dear. I won't let you have anything else until it is gone. This is to insure that your health is top notch."

Chihiro nodded and drank the tea slowly. She smiled as she felt the warmth radiate throughout her body. The melody of tastes tickled her taste buds as she drank more. "Is this a lemon herb tea?" she asked lightly.

Zeniba smiled. "Why yes, it is. Do you like it?"

Chihiro nodded her head. "It tastes so good! Could I have more?"

Zeniba lifted the teapot and poured Chihiro more tea. "The more you drink, the better off you will be," Zeniba mentioned. '_And the more likely you will be able to return to your family_…'

Chihiro drank the rest of the tea and sighed happily in her seat. "Would you mind if I cleaned up a little, Granny?"

"Go ahead, dear. You know where the bathroom, is correct?

"Yes, I do." Chihiro got out of her seat, walked over to Zeniba, and gave her a hug. "Thank you so much for being so hospitable to me."

Zeniba returned the girl's hug and smiled. "You are always welcome."

Zeniba watched the girl walk out of the room and started washing the dishes.

"Where is she?"

Zeniba turned around to face Haku. "She is getting cleaned up. Wait until she gets settled before talking to her." Zeniba looked around before opening her mouth again. "Haku, he's coming today."

Haku stared at the woman in disbelief. "You're kidding. That means I only have time to really talk to her before he comes… less than a day! How am I going to tell her that I love her if I only have less than a day? That's not the kind of news you spring on someone after only seeing them for a day…"

Zeniba shrugged her shoulders. "I'm sorry, but I can't do anything else to help. I gave her the potion in the tea, but that's all I can do. You have to compete with him, Haku."

"I hope I have enough to compete with…"

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Chihiro closed the door behind her and sighed. '_I'm alone now…_' She slowly stripped her shirt and shorts off and looked at herself in the mirror. The scars of the past were forever engraved on her thighs. She looked around for something to press into her skin to create another memory. She ransacked the drawers but couldn't find anything sharp.

She looked around the small room and saw the sink. '_If I hit my elbow hard enough on it, it will leave a bruise. Bruises heal too… I could do that._' Chihiro brought her elbow down to the sink and felt a surge of pain radiate throughout her body. '_There._'

She quickly turned the shower on and rushed herself into the small space. She felt the warm water rush on her body and run down the drain. Only she knew that part of the water came from the tears in her eyes. She touched a healed scar on her thigh and leaned against the shower's smooth tiles. She cried quietly, not knowing what to think anymore.

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"_Chihiro, how can you fail a math test?"_

"_You should have asked me for help if you needed it."_

_Chihiro sat on a couch as she felt her parents hovering over her. "I thought I knew how to do it…" Chihiro pointed out quietly._

_Chihiro's Dad stood in front of her. "What's wrong? Ever since this year, you have dropped from being an above average student to a below average student."_

"_If I knew what was wrong, I would have fixed it by now…" Chihiro grumbled._

"_Don't use that tone of voice with us, Chihiro," her mother stated._

'You use that tone of voice with each other all the time now…_' Chihiro thought to herself. "May I be excused now? I'll do better next time…" The teenager started getting up._

"_No, not until you tell us what is wrong," her father stated sternly._

_Chihiro watched her mother turn towards her father. "She is allowed to be excused. If there was something wrong, she would have told us by now."_

"_Are you kidding me?" Her father said a little louder. "Her grades have been getting worse! There is something she is not telling us. It's because you are waiting for her to tell us when it's really making her do worse."_

"_She'll tell us when she's ready," her mother said more sternly._

_Chihiro looked down. '_Here they go again…_' "Mom, Dad…"_

"_Chihiro," her mom faced her with a calmer expression. "Please go up to your room." She faced her husband again, this time angrier. "Don't stop her."_

"_Dad…"_

"_Chihiro, just go…" her dad said without looking at her._

_Chihiro felt herself climb up the steps to her room and close the door. She could hear the muffled shouts from downstairs. "And they don't know what my problem is…"_

_Chihiro walked into her bathroom, found a razor blade, and made a small cut on her thigh. She quickly clotted it up and sighed. "I can't continue to live in this hell… I'm leaving tonight."_

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Chihiro turned off the shower and shrunk down to her legs. She held her legs for a minute before getting up and drying herself off. She dried her tears and got into her clothes before nodding in satisfaction. '_Now I look fine… and I'm doing better here then I ever was at home…_'

Chihiro walked out of the bathroom and went to her room to put down her items. When she walked out of her room, she saw Haku walking out of the kitchen and smiled.

"Haku!"

Haku glanced up and was knocked over by a hug. "You seem very happy today," he commented as he got up.

Chihiro smiled and nodded. "I am very happy, actually."

Haku looked at Chihiro, feeling his smile fade away. "Chihiro, are you doing ok?"

Chihiro felt her eyes grow large and blinked quickly. '_Does he know my secret?_' Chihiro looked down, trying to avoid eye contact with Haku. "What do you mean?"

"Last night when you were having a bad dream. Is everything ok?"

Chihiro let out a sigh of relief. "Yes, I am. Thanks for asking, Haku." Chihiro smiled, hoping that it would get him to change the subject.

"Ok, I am just making sure, Chihiro." Haku took a deep breath before speaking. "Chihiro, there is something I need to tell you…"

Chihiro perked up and looked at Haku. She felt her cheeks slowly heat up as she stared into his eyes. "Go ahead."

Haku gulped and opened his mouth. "Chihiro, I just want to say—"

Before Haku could finish his thought, the door bell rang, warning the boy of an unwelcome visitor. '_Zazu is here… stay calm and act natural._'

Haku watched Zeniba walk towards the door. She gave him a slight look of warning before touching the door knob.

The door opened to a handsome, young man leaning on the doorframe. He was a suave and sophisticated blonde with warm chocolate brown eyes. His hair was cut short but was a little shaggy with a little piece of hair hanging in his eye, giving him a touch of innocence. The young man wore a white jacket over an emerald green shirt, light colored, neatly cut jeans, and brown boots.

Haku stared at the man. He knew that he would have never guessed that this was a soul-stealing monster. He glanced at Chihiro to see her reaction and frowned.

Chihiro smiled out of interest and sighed lightly. '_He looks very cute…_' she thought with a small sigh.

"Well, come on in, um…" Zeniba spoke.

"Zazu," the young man smiled. "I hope you didn't mind me stopping in, Zeniba, is it?" Zazu flashed a smile.

"Yes you are correct, and it is fine!"

Zazu walked in and looked at Haku. "Who are you?" he asked, taking quick glances between Haku and Chihiro.

"Haku," the teenager said sternly.

Zazu nodded and stuck out his hand. "Nice to meet you," he stated after abruptly shaking Haku's hand. He turned towards Chihiro with a raised eyebrow. "Now what is the name of this beautiful miss?" he asked gently, with a warm smile.

Chihiro felt herself slightly blush. "Chihiro," she said quietly.

"Chihiro, huh?" The blonde took Chihiro's hand and kissed it softly. "It is an absolute pleasure to meet you, Chihiro."

Chihiro's face turned a deep hue of red as she giggled. "The same goes to you."

Zazu smiled, showing his straight white teeth.

Haku groaned to himself in response. '_Even his teeth are perfect! Do I even have a chance against him?_'

Zeniba glanced at Haku and chuckled to herself. '_He is already jealous. Just wait until Zazu starts showing his personality, Haku._'

Still holding Chihiro's hand, Zazu bowed before her and asked in a warm voice, "Would you like to take a moonlight stroll with me, my dear?"

Chihiro glanced at Zeniba who nodded her head. "Sure," the girl smiled. "I will meet you outside in a minute, ok?"

Zazu quickly glanced between the two teenagers before nodding. "Of course, take your time." The young man stepped outside and closed the door behind him.

Chihiro turned towards Haku. "Is it ok if I go with him?"

Haku shook his head. "Go ahead," he said, feeling useless and defeated.

"Are you sure? You seem pretty tense… are you feeling alright?" Chihiro placed her palm on Haku's forehead.

Haku quickly took her hand off his face as he felt his cheeks slowly turn red. "I-I'm fine," he stuttered.

"Um, Haku?"

Yes?"

"What were you going to say before Zazu came?"

Haku felt beads of sweat gather around the back of his neck as his throat started choking up. "I-I have seemed to forgotten…"

Chihiro nodded, somewhat disappointed. "Oh, ok then. I'll be back shortly." She gave Haku a hug before leaving. "Oh, and Haku?" She gave him a glance her way. "If you remember, please tell me," she smiled.

Haku watched the girl close the door behind her. '_I would have told you,_' he thought, '_but it doesn't matter anymore._'

* * *

**I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter! Please, please review!! :)**

**Love and peace,**

**~animeluvr69~**


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